Disney Social Media Moms Conference - I'm GOING!!!

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After a really tense registration period and an equally tense waiting period to find out who would be able to attend, this is what myself and several other bloggers received in their email inbox:

"LET THE SOCIAL MEDIA MEMORIES BEGIN!



Congratulations! Your registration for the 2011 Disney Social Media Moms Celebration is confirmed. We look forward to seeing you in March 2011 for a weekend of fun and professional development at the Walt Disney World Resort. We hope the conference will provide you a unique opportunity to grow in social media, hear from some of the key influencers in the online world and network with some of your respected peers."

WooHoo - I'm going to Disney World!! Which when you think of me, may not seem like a big deal because I live right here and I go there all the time and you KNOW how much I LOVE DISNEY WORLD..... However, THIS is a magnificent trip! This is an experience filled with special events, conference sessions and private parties taking place throughout Disney and includes 3 nights at the gorgeous Grand Floridian Hotel - where I have ALWAYS wanted to stay and it includes 7 day park hopper theme park tickets for the blogger and up to 3 family members!!

Here is the agenda as it stands (which I will update you as soon as I know more):

Thursday, March 17, 2011


     Check-in by 4:00pm at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa® for Full Celebration Attendees


     Welcome Reception for Celebration Attendees 4:00-6:00pm


     Dinner for Full Celebration Attendees and Family.


Friday, March 18, 2011


     8:00-9:00am: Check-in for Day Only Attendees at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa® Convention Center


     Conference Sessions throughout the day
          Breakfast and Lunch (all attendees)
          Dinner for All Attendees and Full Celebration Attendee Families


Saturday, March 19, 2011

     Morning activities for Full Celebration Attendees


     Free time in the parks with families


     Dinner for Full Celebration Attendees and Families


Sunday, March 20, 2011

     Departure Day


How exciting does this all sound???  I have been bouncing off the walls since I got the notice.  Now you know that I will be tweeting and emailing during the event and I will take tons of photographs (like when do I NOT?) and I'll blog all about it when I'm done.

I want to give a special shout out to my friend Kathleen from Life with 4 Boys (Twitter @KBunn) because if it weren't for her help on Thursday, I would never have gotten registered.... Kathleen, YOU ROCK!!  




{Disclosure: This trip is being provided by Disney at a very discounted cost with NO commitments being asked of bloggers. The opinions expressed within the post are those of mine alone, but you all know already that I LOVE Disney!}

Happy First Blogiversary to Me

 

   

I couldn't believe it when I looked back on my blog and saw that this week marked the one year anniversary of my regularly blogging.  I cannot believe how quickly it has gone by and how much has changed - for the good! 

I first started blogging quite sporadically in 2005 and really just let it fall by the wayside.  Then in 2009 after my spinal surgery while I was recuperating on the couch and couldn't do much of anything but watch TV, my darling husband {who is the most wonderful man in the world, by the way} suggested I try entering some giveaways on blogs that he saw on a sweepstakes site that he was entering other giveaways.  He told me I had a "flare for that kind of thing," and it might keep me from being bored for the next 3 months.  So, I started to enter the giveaways and then I won a few... but more than that, I started to read other posts on the blogs.  I started to learn about the incredible women (and a few men), some who where a lot like me, some who where nothing like me, but had these interesting lives and these great families with whom I started to become friends.

Then I thought, maybe, I could start to write about what we were doing and start posting photos of us and even post things that others might find interesting.  So, I started posting, first about my doggie, Nano - my little baby and love of my life, and then some info about nutritional supplements I learned from other sites and then a Father's Day post.  Interspersed with posts about other people's giveaways, I did my posts about what we were doing and uploading photos of our daily life here in beautiful central Florida.

I remember how excited I was to get my very first follower and my very first commenter - they were both the same person ~~ Crystal from Simply Being Mommy.  Crystal has been there for me since then as a follower, commenter and most especially as my friend.  I was so lucky to meet her at the Disney Social Media Moms Conference this past February.

I continued to make new friends and read other people's blogs with their wonderful reviews and enter their giveaways... then I was offered MY very first review.  I was so excited and I gave it my all, as I continue to do with each and every review I do to this date.  Then came my first giveaway and I felt like a giddy school girl with my first crush... I still get this way each time I'm fortunate to represent a company and giveaway one of their products.

Now as I continue to write and upload my photographs, which have gotten better thanks to the most wonderful man in the world for getting me a MUCH better camera, I want to thank all of you for your support and for continuing to visit my blog and reading what I write - for reasons I still don't understand!!  I am so lucky to have you all as my friends and look forward to continuing this relationship and growing it for a very long time into the future.  Hugs to you all!!

Until next time..... Lorie

Disney Social Media Moms Conference - Recap Day 1

Sorry this took me so long to get to, but I ended up with a wicked head cold after the conference, which I am still battling. But I really wanted to let you all know what a fabulous time I had with all the terrific bloggers and speakers at Disney World.

The first thing I want to say is that Disney spared no expense making this a wonderful experience for all of us. The food and entertainment was amazing. While we did pay for the conference and our own way there Disney gave us so many things to make our stay more enjoyable - not only for ourselves, but for our families as well. So I must say thank you so much to all the cast members at Disney first and foremost... plus, being in a wheelchair, they were even more aware and helpful to me and tried to do everything to help me and make my visit even better. I'd also like to thank all the great bloggers who helped push me around the events - I couldn't have made it without you!!

On the day of our arrival, we went to the Hospitality Suite of the Polynesian Resort to get our credentials and tickets to the parks. We were given 7-day park hopper passes (including the water parks - which I'm not sure if anyone used as it was just so darn cold) and a media Fast-pass which allowed us to get in the front of the line at several of the more popular rides - WooHoo!! We were also given a huge bag of gifts from Disney that included a great long-sleeve Mickey t-shirt, a game pack, two watches (I collect Disney watches, so I was extremely thrilled with this), a picnic blanket, a huge collection of post-its, a Mickey Mouse padded laptop bag and a tote bag to carry it all in. Then we went over to the adjoining suite for snacks while we waited to go to ESPN Wide World of Sports for dinner. In the mean time, I spoke to Crystal from Simply Being Mommy on the phone and ran into Felicia from Go Graham Go.

We arrived at ESPN Wide World of Sports where the family members were able to use the facilities to burn off some energy and work up an appetite, while we were whisked away to Milk House to learn about some exciting new projects that Disney has in store for the near future.

While sitting next to Lucinda from Anonymous Mom dot Com we learned that during this summer at Disney World they will be bringing back the Electric Light Parade (WooHoo) and the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror will have a special new "elevator drop" - no word on exactly what that may be, however. Also, Al Weiss from Walt Disney World Operations talked about the expansion to The Magic Kingdom's Fantasy Land including a new Princess Land where little girls can share experiences with each of the princesses in their own homelands! The Dumbo ride will also be expanded to twice the size with the queue being an interactive Big Top 3-ring circus. The Disney Cruise Line is expanding with 2 new ships, a 5 month European season, expansion of their private island Castaway Cay, and the 1st Northern European cruise and Alaskan cruise.


Sr. Vice President of Disney Sports Ken Potrock spoke about the ESPN Wide World of Sports area saying that they wanted it to be an experience for athletes of ages 6 to 86 using their sixty different sports available. They also have HD cameras all over so that no matter what you are playing you have the feeling of "making it to the big time" and being on ESPN because when you go back into the food court they have several HD TV screens where you just might see yourself.






After the presentation we were reunited with our families for an all you can eat tailgate dinner and dance party... where some really special guests showed up. Bill & I had the privilege of eating with Crystal and Ryan and their wonderful children, along with hundreds of other bloggers and their families. It was a great first day!























That wraps up Day 1 of the Disney Social Media Moms Conference... I will be back with posts for the rest of the amazing time we all had there. With more photos and information.... stay tuned for parts 2 and 3.....



Until next time..... Lorie